Disrespect can Wreck - We have to fix this country!
Well, we’re down to the wire. In a few days, America will make history, and the world will laugh or celebrate.
What the 2024 presidential election has shown, however, is that we have work to do. This year’s election has opened up some cans filled with worms that need to be exterminated.
It has also shown that some other cans need to be opened— the ones that result in consequences and repercussions for unconscionable actions.
Prior to the election, I don’t recall ever hearing of Le’Veon Bell. When I did hear of him, what I heard made me want to find out
KAMALA for the PEOPLE
Election day is November 5, 2024. At a campaign rally, former First Lady Michelle Obama talked about Vice President Ka-
WHEN WE VOTE, WE WIN.
When our rights are on the line we fight and when they’re on the ballot we vote, because we’re not going back.
mala Harris’ record, commitment, and character.
“Unlike her opponent, she’s not ducking interviews or cowering in spaces only with ap-
plauding audiences. No, she is showing us what a sane, stable leader looks like... She’s not losing her train of thought or stumbling over her words, and she’s
doing it all with vigor and with grace. That’s because Kamala Harris is a grown-up. We need a grown-up in the White House.” Read more at www.nnpa.org
If we do our part and show up to the polls, we will make history (again)!
Let’s vote for progress and the future we deserve. Vote for the leader who’s been fighting for us for years.
Election Day is November 5th. Vote for Kamala Harris.
Vice President Kamala Harris
photo: NNPA
OCTOBER
Fall Faith & Family Festival – Community Block Party by Friendship-West Baptist Church This festival is thoughtfully designed to meet the needs of our community. 6 to 9 pm. at 2020 W Wheatland Rd, Dallas. Tickets: https://bit.ly/4gMVRLs.
Make & Take: Halloween Treats - 5750 East Lovers Lane Dallas, TX 75206 (11 a-1:30 p)
NOVEMBER 1
Last Day to Receive Ballot by Mail Homecoming at Paul Quinn
Sip & Shop: Dia de los Muertos by Discover Deep Ellum. Join us on November 1 from 5-9 pm. It’s a celebration of our historic neighborhood’s vibrant art and culture with wine, shopping, and endless adventures at 2647 Main Street Dallas. Tickets: https://bit.ly/3YqRWf2
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
news journalist with WFAA, will serve as the emcee for the evening.
Native American Heritage Month
Dallas Country Music Festival: River Walk Flower Mound by Austin Country, Folk & Blues Festivals. Experience 6 significant concerts, artists & crafters, gourmet food trucks, craft beer & wine, and full admission is just $8 with FREE parking! On November 2, from 11 am-9 pm, at River Walk Drive Flower Mound. Tickets: Eventbrite
Turkey Suffle Dallas by Bigfoot Running Company A 5K, 10K & Virtual Walk/Run Race starts at 9 am at Valley View Park, 7000 Valley View Ln., Dallas. For more info, Register and pay: https://bit.ly/3YKb3SM
Texas Taco Festival by A Taste of Your Own. 2- 10 pm. Prepare for an action-packed weekend filled with tacos, margaritas, delicious indulgences, and taco-themed activities! Tickets $9.99. Tickets: Eventbrite
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Free Makeup Class by MUA Tasha Renee. 2-6 pm 1512 Osprey Drive #ste 107 DeSoto. Watch live as MUA Tasha Renee, a professional makeup artist of 19 years, demonstrates the latest tips and techniques, giving you all the insights you need to achieve flawless looks. Tickets: https://bit. ly/48pb6Gx
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Monday Night Karaoke at the Texas Republic by Texas Festivals & Events. It is a night of musical fun at our karaoke event! From 9 pm-2 am, at 945 Foch Street, Fort Worth. Tickets: Eventbrite 5
Fort Worth Feast of Sharing – 12th Annual Holiday Dinner 3 to 7 p.m., Dickies Arena (Lower level –southeast side of arena)1911 Montgomery Street, Fort Worth, TX 76107 *** Experience Glass Blowing by SiNaCa Studios-School of Glass and Gallery. Participants can work with our instructors to learn about the equipment, tools, and materials used to transform raw glass into a memorable experience. From 10:30 am-12:30 pm, at 1013 W Magnolia Ave Fort Worth. Tickets: Eventbrite 8
Dallas Feast of Sharing – 18th Annual Holiday Dinner, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Fair Park – Centennial Building, 1001 Washington Street, Dallas, TX
***
Poets & Jazz 9 pm at Clarence Muse Cafe Theatre 1309 Canton St. Dallas. Tickets $10 via Ticketmaster or TBAAL Box Office 214-743-2440 Poets & Jazz #2 By The Black Academy of Arts and Letters Inc. Memphis’ CASHMERE and Dallas’ LESLIE ARMSTEAD spoken word poets rip-and-rhyme word-afterword like speaking drums!
*** 9 pm at Clarence Muse Cafe Theatre 1309 Canton St. Dallas, 9pm. Tickets $10 via Ticketmaster or TBAAL Box Office 214-743-2440
Poets & Jazz #2 By The Black Academy of Arts and Letters Inc. Memphis’ CASHMERE and Dallas’ LESLIE ARMSTEAD spoken word poets rip-and-rhyme word-after-word like speaking drums! Friday, 9 pm
United 4 BURKS Memorial Basketball Classic! The Ques (Omega Psi Phi Fraternity) vs Dallas Police Department at the one and only Paul Quinn College! This event will jump off at 7pm during Paul Quinn’s Homecoming…and if you know how Electric PQC is then you want to be there!
Buy Local For Oak Cliff, every first Saturday, 10am2pm at 907 E. Ledbetter Dr. Dallas. Find out more at foroakcliff.org/farmers-market ***
Hunger Busters is hosting the sixth annual “Meet the Chefs” featuring cuisines crafted by notable chefs at The Empire Room at 6:00 p.m. Erin Hunter,
Spoon Ring Workshop by Pipe & Palette. Make two new rings or pendants from vintage spoons with our professional Spoon Ring Artist! From 1-3 pm OR 3-5 pm, at 6121 W Park Blvd Suite C118, Plano Tickets: Eventbrite 6
African American Cotton pickers denounce shame, adopt economic pride with annual day
I Was Just Thinking...
By Norma Adams-Wade
“… as an African American, we first must struggle with…being victims of the pain… …listen to our elder generation who picked cotton, …And…begin to see the reality of a real human being whose life was impacted by this very soft, white product (cotton).”
--Clarence E. Glover Jr. as quoted in Texas Highways magazine, Oct. 22, 2021
There’s a war going on. Not the Israel/Palestine or Russian/ Ukraine conflicts – but the pain and wounded history of Black folks’ free labor and cotton free labor picking cotton in America. But the voice of a modern-day prophet is crying in the wilderness, loudly admonishing African-Americans to wake up and claim the economic riches of cotton– natures “white gold.”
Clarence E. Glover Jr., also known as “Professor Freedom,” is that voice – proclaiming that “without us,” European landowners would never have been able to plant, harvest and cash in on the wealth that, by design. completely bypassed us.
But a day is coming this month
when the prophet will pull out the stops and shine the spotlight on a new day of pride for the part African-Americans played in placing Texas, Dallas, and the nation at the top of the world economy.
“Without us” is the powerful theme of the upcoming 4th Annual African American Cotton Pickers Day that will be Monday, October 28.. The day is an annual observance always on the 4th Monday of October that farmers know as the height of the cotton harvesting season. Glover created this national day, also known as Cotton Monday, and registered it four years ago on October 20, 2020 through the National Day Archives organization.
The first observance was October 26, 2020. It recognized
Who is Clarence E. Glover Jr?
This crusader, philosopher, scholar, minister, lecturer, cultural diversity guru, children’s book author, youth mentor, farmer, avid drummer, civil rights activist, and caregiver to people who live on the street spreads his energy over an obviously wide swath.
He traces his roots back six generations including when his ancestors became African American cotton landowners in Shreveport, Louisiana. He is one of five children of his Dad, Clarence E. Glover Sr. and mom, Elizabeth Bradford Glover, who both were educators.
Glover grew up helping his great-grandfather plant and harvest the family’s cotton and food crops, and he developed an intrinsic love for the land and the bounty it produced.
The Glover family also hired people to help pick their cotton. Glover and his family still own a portion of that land, and ironically his Dallas home is in a Love Field area that historically also was Dallas cotton territory. He still rises early during cotton and crop seasons and works accessible Dallas County land where he can grow cotton and produce.
Professionally, Glover earned a history degree from Grambling State University in Grambling, Louisiana and a Master of Theology from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He completed the Harvard University Graduate Institute on School Climate and Governance.
He spent 15 years on the Southern Methodist University faculty as an adjunct professor of African American Studies, director of Intercultural Education and Minority Student Affairs, Coordinator of African-American Student Services – all positions that enabled him to involve numerous notable African American in campus programs.
Glover later joined Dallas Independent School District for 16 years as executive director of Multicultural Education and Special Assistant to the General Superintendent for Intercultural Relations.
Aside from Education, Glover founded and is pastor of First African Freedom Church in the year 2000 that was on Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. in South Dallas/Fair Park and his congregation organized a sister church in Bonwire, Ghana, West Africa. He founded Sankofa Education Services, Clarence Glover Speaks, and the African Amer-
ican Cotton Institute that he founded in January 2024. He was inducted into the African American Educators Hall of Fame in 2019, and he recently donated a large portion of his archives to the Dallas Public Library.
Glover has been featured in various national, local and trade magazines including Time, Essence and Texas Highways magazines, and the National Society of Black Engineers Journal. He wrote a children’s book ‘Da Night befo’ Freedom: An Emancipation Juneteenth Tale,” based on the New Year’s Eve “Watch Night tradition.”
Other issues Glover has tackled Glover’s interests and involvements are extremely wide-ranging. On any given day over the decades, he could be found passing out blankets to people living on the streets of South Day/Fair Park or meeting with city and community leaders to brainstorm about issues ranging from policy changes to reduce police-community conflicts to ending apartheid in Motherland Africa.
Some of the issues include tackling police policy reform to reduce police-community conflicts, pushing to end African apartheid, banking discrimination, public protests following the 1998 dragging murder of James Byrd Jr. in Jasper, TX, spotlighting Black architect William Sidney Pittman’s link to the Pittman Hotel near Deep Ellum, holding executive positions with the NAACP Dallas chapter, advocating for the homeless, mentoring young Black males, creating community gardens, telling little-known Black history details about the Statue of Liberty, promoting diversity equity and inclusion, speaking on theology and faith topics, exploring history of Freemen’s towns in Dallas and surrounding area, highlights significances of Freedman’s Cemetery in Dallas.
Americans of African descent who planted and harvested cotton during slavery and Jim Crow, playing invaluable yet unrecognized roles in the development of America’s economic system largely based on the cotton industry.
The pushback and vitriolic resistance from Black people against cotton can be overwhelming. I was just thinking… Who could have imagined that a plant that grows from the soil could elicit such two-sided venom of emotion. You could say we descendants of Motherland Africa are suffering from an indelible post traumatic cotton syndrome.
But Glover trudges forward. He is leading his impassioned mission to reverse the pain and replace it with pride; to open closed eyes to the economic value of this God-created commodity whose wealth completely bypassed African descendants. He is touting knowledge of how the South, including Dallas and Texas, could not have attained its thriving economy “without us” -- the free labor of African-Americans during slavery and pittance sharecropper pay during the Jim Crow era.
Turning pain to pride would mean that what seems to be the majority of African-Americans would no longer seek to blot out all memory of our part of cotton’s legacy.
Yes. The subject is painful to generations of African Americans who only have been handed the bitter pill of the pain of the backbreaking, cruel, and life-threatening labor from which only the bravest would dare to attempt to escape.
National Association of African American Cotton Pickers Day (N Triple A CP)
The commemorative day also was created to allow all Americans to study, recognize and appreciate how Americans of African descent have contributed to the cotton industry and its impact on the economic, political, educational, religious, and cultural life of America. It is a day to recognize how inter-cultural relations were impacted by the cotton industry in America and other countries both past and present.
“We are at a point in our multicultural dialogue where we have to recognize cotton as an economic power base from which we never benefited.,” Glover states.
He often recites his mantra to groups as he lectures on history and culture: “Take the chains off your brain so your mind can work.”
He also quotes various enlightening words of Caucasians who owned enslaved Africans. One such person is Stephen F. Austin, known as founding father of Texas, who was caught up in the conflict between Mexico and Texas as a growing cotton empire. Historians quote Austin as saying in the 1820s:
“The primary product that will elevate us from poverty is cotton
writer Jacob Vaughn gives insight to his vision. He knows where endless cotton field were once located. The article quotes him saying, “when I look at those fields, I see cotton.”
The Texas Highways interview also gave Glover’s explanation about the value of cotton in actual money: “Did you know that one bale of cotton will produce 313,600 $100 bills? Paper money is not paper, there’s no paper in it. Every dollar bill is made from 75% cotton and 25% linen. That’s why when you put it in the washing machine, it comes out intact. Cotton is money. Money is cotton. Literally.”
and we cannot do this without the help of slaves.”
Glover drives him the point to African Americans that the enemy is not the cotton. The enemy is the lack of credit afforded descendants of Motherland Africa for being the engine that bought the cotton wealth to the world.
“The problem is that Black people did the labor that built this country but were not paid for their invaluable labor,” says Glover. Interviewed by Clayton Maxwell in the Oct. 22, 2021Texas Highways magazine, Glover says: “Particularly as an African American, we first must struggle with the healing process, being victims of the pain. We have to get in touch with that pain. We, as African Americans, must know the story. …We must acknowledge it and show it to our children and grandchildren.”
Each gathering Glover convenes at various locations is another stab at his goal to reverse the curse and win advocates for how descendants of Africa are owed respect and honor for the role we played in producing economic success in Texas, Dallas, and surrounding counties. Glover designed posters that label Dallas “The city that cotton pickers built.”
In his role as “Professor Freedom,” Glover uses authentic trappings. He dresses in overalls and an old, frayed straw hat with a long, well-used cotton sack draped over one shoulder. The image is of a Black farmer who has finished a day of grueling work in the field. He twists bracelets out of a boll of cotton while onlookers stand captivated. Sometimes for exhibits he displays a giant 500-lb bale of cotton he cherishes.
Ellis County cotton proclamation
Ellis County, about 30 miles South of Dallas, took a giant step forward concerning local cotton on Oct. 16, 2023. The Waxahachie City Council, in Ellis County, presented a resolution recognizing Glover’s annual African American Cotton Pickers Day.
Officials also had unveiled a Texas Historical Marker on an Ellis County farm in September 2023. The marker recognizes Ellis County as the nation’s largest cotton producer in the early 1900s, while Dallas was the nation’s largest inland cotton exchange. While highlighting the Texas and Dallas-area cotton empire,
He continues: “… Just as my European Jewish brothers do. Just as the Native Americans do. … Once we do … it will speak for itself. … All people can listen to our elder generation who picked cotton… let them talk about that journey. (It will) open up a door. …then other cultures begin to see the reality of a real human being whose life was impacted by this very soft, white product.”
How the cotton crusade is growing
For about four years now, Glover’s cotton crusade has gained considerable momentum. He has met with various local, state and national government and community leaders, tackling their prejudices against the creator’s crop and winning over not all, but many.
A February 2, 2023 Dallas Observer magazine cover story by
the officials also acknowledged the invaluable impact of African descendants.
Dallas cotton landmarks
The Dallas International Cotton Exchange Building was one of the most significant remnants of the once Dallas cotton empire. Glover has thoroughly researched the building’s history as a key part of the local cotton story.
He uses a photo silhouette of the building, behind a historic photo of Black people picking cotton, on the cover of his proposed book “Without us: African American Cotton Pickers and Dallas, Texas” that is set to be released soon. The imposing 17-story building, once downtown Dallas’ 2nd-tallest building,
Glover with cotton exhibit at African American Museum during Grambling-Prairie View game. Photo: Clarence Glover Jr.
Da’ real Cotton Bowl…or boll. Photo: Clarence Glover Jr.
Glover twisting cotton bracelet
Photo: Clarence Glover Jr.
Glover picking cotton from Dallas-area field.
Photo: Clarence Glover Jr.
From Jesus to Jim Crow?
We ain’t goin’ back! – Harris/Welz Campaign, 2024
By Vincent L. Hall
Jesus brought Black people to America, and we have been catching hell ever since. Not Jesus, our chosen Lord and Savior…it was literally the Jesus of Lubeck.
Jesus of Lubeck was the first British slave ship to reach the Americas. In fact, between 1562 and 1567, Britain’s very first slave trader, John Hawkins, profited so greatly from the slave trade, that he arrested the Queen’s attention. And the rest, as they say, is Black history.
It is blatantly apparent that some of us are historically limited. I hope to explain in 700 words or less how racism has kept African Americans in a fighting posture for 400 years.
The “Slave Catchers” created a working model of law enforcement officers as we know them today. The concept was attributed to Robert Peel in England circa 1812 and reached the continental United States soon after.
The first American implementation of Peel’s “community policing” happened as a response to slave revolts by Nat Turner and John Brown. These freedom fighters took the risk of opposing evil and like so many others “made the ultimate sacrifice.
The Black Codes - President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated five days after the Civil War, and Vice President Andrew Johnson assumed the balance of his term. A Southerner, Johnson wanted to readmit the Southern states into the Union as quickly as possible. He appointed military governors who held complete power in the former Confederate states until new civilian governments could be organized.
Congress created the Freedmen’s Bureau right before the end of the war, but the newly emancipated slaves were last on Johnson’s list.
By 1870, a quarter million black children and adults attended more than 4,000 of these schools in the South.
South Carolina created an answer to what they saw as a breach of their state’s rights… They created the Black Codes.
South Carolina’s Black Code
applied only to “persons of color,” (octoroons) defined as including anyone with more than one-eighth Negro blood. The Black Codes negatively affected civil rights, labor contracts, vagrancy, apprenticeships, courts, crimes, and punishment.
It rescinded the 2nd Amendment Right of “coloreds” to bear arms and required the enforcement of local, state, and national policing agencies.
“Jim Crow” was the late 1800s phase of militarized martial law and official oppression for Negroes. Jim Crow was a slang
term and “code” for Black people when “Nigger” became taboo for official use. Jim Crow established different rules and laws for Blacks and Whites and was based on the theory and practice of white supremacy.
After Reconstruction and the depression-racked 1890s, racism appealed to Whites who feared losing their jobs to Blacks. Sound familiar? Politicians singled out Blacks to win the favor and votes of poor Whites.
Some newspapers allegedly beefed up the bias of White readers by amping up or making up Black crimes. (Fox News didn’t invent racism in media, they just perfected the process!)
By 1914, Texas had six entire towns in which Blacks could not live or work in after dark. Signs bearing the warning “Whites Only” or “Colored” became the tapestry and texture of the South. Alabama Police Commissioner Bull Connor of the 1960s became the poster boy for outward racism in policing.
After all, it takes somebody with a badge to enforce laws, whether just or unjust!
Civil Rights/AA/DEI Since Jim Crow, we have been engaged
in a colder version of the war for our dignity called the civil rights struggle. We won significant victories in the 1960’s and 1970’s. But in 2024, we are witnessing encumbrances at the voting booth, a total denial and “whitewashing” of history, and a significant assault on Affirmative Action, aka DEI.
Donald Trump boldly proclaims that a vote for him will Make America Great Again. The MAGA movement fondly remembers the maximum enjoyment of White privilege.
So, if you don’t care to revisit government blatantly racist policies and you refuse to go back to Sundown Towns, reckless eyeballing charges, lynching, or guessing how many jellybeans are in a bowl as a requirement for voting; you have a singular choice for president in 2024 and Trump ain’t it!
Those of us who understand Black history from the Jesus of Lubeck to Jim Crow and beyond will be voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. We ain’t goin’ back!
Vincent L. Hall is an author, activist, award-winning columnist and a lifelong Drapetomaniac!
Relief Efforts Are Happening In Florida And Other States Despite What The Former President Says
By
Negative people manage to show up during the worst of times. They tear down and do not build up. They create bad impressions and perceptions. Their goal is always to create doubt and deception.
Ego and self-interests take the place of understanding and compassion for others. There are some qualities and traits that you can’t teach. You either have them or you don’t. You keep thinking they will change but they never do.
Donald Trump, the former president lacks empathy and compassion. Even when he tries, it comes across as disingenuous. These are my opinions.
Within the past three weeks, two major storms have hit the
Sunshine State. One of them, Hurricane Helene also ripped through the states of North Carolina and Tennessee. At the last count more than 120 lives were lost, injured and unaccounted for in this hurricane. According to the National Weather Service, Hurricane Helene packed winds of more than 110 mph.
Both Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton along with the tornadoes that followed caused life-changing events for these residents. For many residents affected by these storms, they were first time occurrences. They were simply not prepared for the winds and for the storm surges.
Many of us who live on the Gulf Coast have experienced these events and know firsthand the power and punch that these storms have. Unfortunately, some residents did not heed the warning to evacuate the area. They were left stranded and became victims.
With these hurricanes having now dissipated, what are the
next steps? What do residents do who have lost everything? Relief efforts in the form of food, clothing and shelter have already begun. Local, state and national efforts have given these citizens help and hope.
National organizations like the American Red Cross are doing their part. One of their initiatives is to establish blood centers for those who have been injured in these hurricanes. They are also helping with places to stay and with food.
According to confirmed reports and a direct quote, “The Administration has already helped thousands of Hurricane Helene survivors jumpstart their recoveries with more than $137 million in Federal assistance with more to come. The Administration has contacted nearly 450 state, city and county officials in impacted states to ensure they have the support and resources they need.” Similar statements have been made about those affected by Hurricane Milton.
While these documented efforts are happening in real time, there are some in the GOP who are spreading untruths about what is not happening. Of course, this nonsense is being led by Trump and his running mate.
Others have joined them in promulgating these lies. Republican lawmaker, Marjorie Taylor Greene has created controversy because of her mean and mindless remarks. She has suggested that the Democrats in some way can control the weather.
President Joe Biden said, “Her comments are beyond ridiculous, and it’s got to stop.” Hugh Willoughby, a Florida International professor who worked at NOAA’s Hurricane Research Division for over 20 years said, “We’re all trying to prevent human suffering and if somebody were deliberately doing the sort of things they imagine, we’d blow the whistle on it.”
Another Republican with ill will is Scott Jennings. He served
in the George W. Bush administration as a special assistant to the president. By his baseless and tasteless remarks on CNN, he must have been promised a position if Trump becomes president.
What is rather sickening and shameful is that some Republicans have made these hurricanes into some type of political gain. Smugly and spitefully, they are intimating that the Biden-Harris administration is not providing the recovery assistance that is needed. Those of us with good sense know better.
The facts and figures say otherwise. This is why you and I must vote for Kamala Harris in November to be president of the United States of America. If not, we’ll get a steady dose of lies and misrepresentations.
Disrespect can Wreck - We have to fix this country cont.
more about the women in his life, beginning with his mother.
I wanted to apologize to her because I knew she was going to hear some terrible things about her son.
I couldn’t think of anyone I knew and respected who would condone what he did.
I felt ashamed because a Black man was being openly disrespectful to a Black woman and I wanted him checked immediately.
For those unaware, Bell is a 32-year-old former NFL star from Ohio.
A supporter of Donald Trump, he posted a picture dressed in a t’shirt with pictures of Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris with the words, Trump or the Tramp 2024, across his chest.
The picture almost brought me to tears.
You see, I am way over folks disrespecting Black women. It hurts that we continue to be the brunt of everyone’s disdain.
Why has the Black woman, over time, been the one that
takes everyone’s abuse?
And I wanted to hear a loud outcry and condemnation of the photo.
As an issues-over-individuals person, I don’t want to attack Bell; however, I did want him to know the shirt was offensive, misogynistic, and a total disgrace.
Then you have Trump, who has no problem with the shirt.
While I am not surprised, I am so disappointed that childish, nasty, racist, and stupid behav-
from page 1
ior is going unchecked. Instead of attacking the issues, we have the likes of Bell’s shirt garnering news time. We must do better.
If you aren’t repulsed by some of the attacks, then walk into the room where you brush your teeth and look into the mirror to spot the problem.
Clearly, the work is just beginning because we can’t continue down this road of self-destruction. Someone has to work on stopping the madness.
James B. Ewers Jr. Ed.D.
Voices
Dr. James B. Ewers, Jr. is a longtime educator who hails from Winston Salem, N.C. Ewers is a
NAACP
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.
Agenda47: Project 2025 on Steroids
In Her Words
By GeVonna Fassett
While Project 2025 is gaining attention, there’s another plan that deserves even closer scrutiny: Donald Trump’s Agenda47. This isn’t about the 20 carefully crafted principles currently highlighted on his campaign website; it’s about the original 46 tenets of Agenda47 that have quietly disappeared from public view.Both Project 2025 and Agenda47 propose significant changes, but Agenda47 presents an even more extreme vision for the future of our nation.
The Heritage Foundation created Project 2025, a comprehensive plan to reorganize federal agencies and integrate conservative policies through-
We’ve had to do a lot of listening lately about choices we must make about who’ll be our next president when 2025 rolls around. Single women should be having children if we want to have something to do about the future of our nation! That’s what J.D. Vance said! We don’t know what the orange man thinks about that or should we just assume he’ll tell us on his first day in office?
Many believe the orange man was really injured enough to wear that big pad on his ear that
out the government. But Trump’s Agenda47 expands on these ideas by putting out policies that have the potential to drastically alter American democracy and society.
Where Project 2025 seeks to reform existing institutions, Agenda47 envisions dismantling them entirely. For example, its proposals include mass deportations using the National Guard, ending birthright citizenship, and imposing ideological tests on educators. These are not just policy changes— they reflect a stark departure from long-standing American values and constitutional principles.
One of the most striking elements of Agenda47 is its stance on education. While Project 2025 advocates for conservative reforms, Agenda47 proposes the creation of a new educational institution—the American Academy—funded by fines on universities with large endowments, like Har-
vard University. This would reshape education along partisan lines, rather than merely reforming it.
Agenda47 also outlines a troubling expansion of executive power. In order to enact significant reforms, it mostly relies on executive orders, which circumvent the legislative process and consolidate authority at the presidential level. In contrast, Project 2025 takes a more
conventional tack by operating inside pre-existing governmental structures.
Perhaps most concerning is Agenda47’s push to politicize traditionally nonpartisan institutions. It aims to restructure the accreditation processes and the civil service while imposing a particular ideological agenda on all tiers of government. Such as replacing tenured government employees with party loyalists. This threatens to drastically change the character of American governance and goes beyond simple issue disputes.
In essence, Agenda47 pushes Project 2025’s already extreme concepts to dangerous new levels. It symbolizes not just a conservative, but also an authoritarian vision for America that has the potential to destroy our democracy from the ground up.
As we approach the upcoming election, it’s imperative to understand the full implications of these proposals. Agenda47 is more than just a policy
Tell Me That Again!
could have been covered by a Band-Aid! I’m still trying to figure out how he really got that little scar! I think he wears the pad for sympathy! It’s hard enough to believe his ear was pierced by a young man who couldn’t shoot straight enough to even get into a gun training session in school!
I wasn’t at the Republican convention, but I’m having a hard time believing the same man who was such a bad shooter that he tragically killed one man and injured two others near the orange man was the same one who hit just the tip of his ear.
Let’s look at the Secret Service as they tried to protect the orange man while he continued to pop his head up so we could see his fist pump into the air (which, by the way, is a symbol we Black people use to express our determination to fight against rac-
ism). I may be wrong, but I find it hard to believe anyone in his right mind who was just shot would not want to be protected by holding his head down so as not to make it easy for the shooter!
I was impressed by the Secret Service’s quick response as they risked their lives to save the orange man. He should be grateful for the Secret Service woman who rushed up to make him stop popping his head up so they could get him down the stairs to the safety of the limo waiting to take him away.
For those complaining about the women, they’re the ones who quickly took measures to get him into the limo instead of allowing him to showboat further putting himself and them in more danger. The three female agents stood by the door
of the limo risking their lives to save him. They closed the door as he resisted and kept him safe as the male agents walked away. I resent criticism of agents just because they are women, but when you consider how orange man and his VP teach people to disrespect women, they should consider themselves lucky the women agents were there, and it’s horrible the way the female director of the Secret Service was treated, causing her to resign before she completed her study of the matter.
Mark Pocan said in essence: “Selection of J.D. Vance as his running mate is the latest blaring sign that if Trump retakes the White House and has a Republican Congress, he’ll pursue an extreme agenda that leaves Americans with fewer rights, worse healthcare access and a higher
platform; it’s a road map for a significant overhaul of American politics and culture as we know it. It will take us well away from the democratic ideals upon which our country was founded.
The choice before us is more than just different approaches to policy; it’s a choice between preserving our democratic institutions and embarking on a path that could dismantle them.
In this context, Agenda47 is not a bold vision for the future, but a serious threat to the core character of America. Perhaps that’s why the original Agenda47 has quietly disappeared from Donald Trump’s website.
Fassett is a
of Carbondale. She is a speaker and author of The Original Agenda47: Project 2025 on Steroids - Unmasking Trump’s Ultimate Plan available now on Amazon. To receive a copy of the transcripts of Donald Trump’s original Agenda47, you can email GeVonna at GeVonnaFassett2024@gmail.com.
cost of living—not to mention a loss of freedom.”
You know orange man’s positions on issues, but take a look at what JD Vance, Trump’s selection for VP believes in: 1. national abortion ban with no exceptions, 2. stay in abusive marriages for the sake of children, 3. universal child care is a “war against normal people“! Don’t forget his voting record where he failed to stand with striking autoworkers last year and advocated for cuts to Social Security. Consider working for and voting for those who’ve shown they’ll work for your best interests. Next time to do that is November 5, 2024. You know how to vote — so VOTE!
E. Faye Williams is President of the National Congress of Black Women and host of “Wake Up and Stay Woke” on WPFW-89.3 FM
We Should All Follow The Georgia Voter Turnout Example
By Dr. John E. Warren
On the first day of voting in the state of Georgia, more than 344,000 people waited in lines for as long as it took to cast their votes in this November’s General Election. This first day of voting was greater than the number voting on the first day four years ago in Georgia. Former President Jimmy Carter, who turned
Lucille “Big Mama” Allen was the heart and soul of our family, a wellspring of wisdom and faith. Her words carried the weight of experience, and her guidance still echoes through the lives of those she touched.
100 years old a couple of weeks ago, had a dream realized. He had expressed a hope that he would live long enough after turning100 years old, to cast his vote for Kamala Harris to become the first woman President of these united states. Nationwide over 6.6 million people have already cast their ballots in early elections.
We must remember that the state of Georgia gave us democratic control of the U.S. Senate in sending both a Black and a Jewish person to the Senate in spite of Trump’s efforts to steal votes. Bringing the issue close to
home, each of us must follow the examples of these early voters and not only vote as soon as possible, but also be in touch with friends and family in other cities and states to encourage all to vote. While voting, we must not forget those running for other positions like the Congress, the Senate and state and local elections. Every vote counts and your vote is among the “every vote counts”.
We should not forget the Propositions and local Measures on our ballots. Some of us are already showing signs of not wanting to hear the continuous call
for voter registration and voting.
But let’s remember that our very future hangs on this election in more ways than one.
Many of those voting for and supporting Donald Trump know that he is unfit to hold office as President of the United States.
As former Congresswoman Liz Cheney states, “he should never be allowed near the Oval Office again.” But the vote for Trump is not about Trump. It’s about the vehicle he represents for moving the radical conservative agenda to gain additional judges on the Supreme Court and in Federal Judgeships as a means to move
America towards restoring policies and power to the rich and the few for generations to come. It’s about “they the people” and not the “We the people” that includes the diverse and working class people of this country. Let’s not lose our freedoms because of a failure to vote. It’s a matter of life and death, no matter where you live or whether or not you think your vote counts. Remember, a no vote is the same as a vote for those running against your interest.
John E. Warren is publisher of The San Diego
and Viewpoint.
weren’t just talking about music or media; they were addressing the political lies and disinformation spreading across the U.S. Their message was about staying informed and not allowing ourselves to be misled by the smoke and mirrors around us.
As we navigate today’s world, Big Mama’s lesson rings clearer than ever: “Black Man, Don’t believe the hype.” For Big Mama, “Don’t believe the hype” meant being a critical thinker. It was about cutting through the noise, refusing to be swayed by empty promises, and forming your own opinions. In a world where hype is everywhere— where stories are spun, inflated, and designed to manipulate—it’s important to recognize that hype and substance are not the same thing. As she would say, “The hype is loud, but the truth speaks quieter.”
In this age of misinformation and disinformation, Big Mama’s lesson couldn’t be more timely. We see examples of hype being used to distort the truth all the time—whether it’s misleading headlines about political candidates, false narratives about voter fraud, or social media campaigns that amplify divisiveness. It’s our responsibility to sift through the noise and seek out truth and repeat “Black Man, Don’t believe the Hype!
The phrase gained broader significance through Public Enemy’s 1988 hit, *“Don’t Believe the Hype.”* Chuck D and his crew
This is where Cheryl Smith, the founder of *Don’t Believe the Hype Foundation,* comes in. Her non profit empowers young people to think critically, pursue me-
dia careers, and contribute to honest storytelling. It’s a reminder that we, too, must invest in the truth. As Kanye West said, “Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it. I guess every superhero needs his theme music.” But as Black men, we must ensure that the noise doesn’t drown out our vote, our truth, or our future. Find the facts. Seek out trusted
Dr.
Voice
Dr.
By Dr. E. Faye Williams Wake Up and Stay Woke
By Terry Allen
Big Mama Said
Kanye West
2024 HBCU FOOTBALL SEASON
Homecoming games already played
1. Alabama A&M vs. Bethune-Cookman University: 56-12
2. Alabama State vs. FAMU: 0-28
3. Albany State vs. Morehouse: 52-6
4. Alcorn State vs. Arkansas Pine Bluff: 38-28
5. Bluefield State vs. Kentucky Christian University: 20-19
6. Bowie State University vs. Bluefield State University: 54-0
7. Central State University vs. Clark Atlanta University: 20-25
8. Clark Atlanta University vs. Miles College: 25-20
9. Delaware State University vs. Saint Francis (PA): 28-17
10. Fort Valley State University vs. Allen University: 49-40
11. Grambling State University vs. University of Arkansas Pine Bluff: 31-21
12. Howard University vs. Tennessee State University: 14-27
13. Johnson C. Smith University vs. Shaw University: 21-14
14. Kentucky State University vs. Lane College: 24-20
15. Lane College vs. Central State University: 27-24
16. Lincoln University (MO) vs. Lincoln University (CA): 40-14
17. Lincoln University (PA) vs. Bluefield State University: 37-13
18. Miles College vs. Central State: 16-7
19. Mississippi Valley State University vs. Bethune-Cookman University: 10-20
20. Morgan State University vs. Lincoln University (PA): 41-0
21. North Carolina A&T vs. Hampton University: 17-59
22. Tennessee State University vs. Eastern Illinois University: 41-7
23. Texas Southern University vs. Virginia University of Lynchburg: 28-10
24. Virginia State University vs. Bowie State University: 38-17
25. West Virginia State University vs. Concord University: 44-14
26. Miles College vs. Benedict College: 26-14
27. Bethune-Cookman University vs. Jackson State University: 17-37
28. Elizabeth City State University vs. Lincoln University (PA): 20-21
29. Fayetteville State University vs. Shaw University: 21-14
30. Florida Memorial University vs. Ave Maria University:37-10
31. Hampton University vs. Elon: 41-21
32. Morehouse College vs. Fort Valley State University: 20-42
33. Norfolk State University vs. Howard University: 21-20
Upcoming Games by Date
34. Paul Quinn College vs. Arlington Baptist: 11/02/24
35. Allen University vs. Central State University: 11/02/24
36. Florida A&M University vs. Texas Southern University: 11/02/24
37. Shaw University vs. Livingstone College: 11/02/24
38. Virginia Union University vs. Bluefield State University: 11/02/24
39. Wiley College vs. Arkansas Baptist: 11/02/24
40. Edward Waters University vs. Allen University: 11/09/24
41. Tuskegee University vs. Miles College: 11/09/24
42. University of Maryland Eastern Shore vs. Penn State: 11/09/24
43. Winston-Salem State University vs. Fayetteville State University: 11/09/24
44. Xavier University of Louisiana vs. Alcorn State University: 11/09/24
Wilmer recognized with Planning Excellence Award for city’s Comprehensive Plan
WILMER – The City of Wilmer’s Comprehensive Plan, also known as Picture Wilmer 2040 was recognized recently by The Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association.
The overall purpose of Wilmer’s Comprehensive Plan since its inception has been to not only assure future plans continue to align with the community vision for the city, but it also serves as the city’s tool to update the Wilmer community regarding ongoing future growth and development in the city.
The Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association’s Richard R. Lillie, FAICP Planning Excellence Recognition Program named Wilmer in this year’s list of cities.
“We are thrilled to be among the list of those recognized this year by The Texas Chapter of the
American Planning Association,” said Wilmer Mayor Sheila Petta. “We do not take our responsibility to our citizens lightly. This year’s acknowledgement of the Picture Wilmer 2040 Comp Plan is an honor because it is an indication, as a city, that we are all working together to realize the best future for Wilmer.”
The evaluation criteria for The Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association recognition in excellence in municipalities throughout the state include a look at the level of training of Planning Commissioners and professional staff, professional qualifications of the planning staff, breadth and currency of master plan components and completion of other planning related projects.
The goals of the program in which Wilmer was recognized in order
to receive this prestigious award included increasing community awareness of the importance of planning, recognizing planning departments which meet certain professional requirements, recognizing planning efforts that have achieved community support, encouraging the funding of professional training for Planning Commissioners and staff, and aiding economic development and community image.
The program recipients for the 2024 Richard R. Lillie, FAICP Planning Excellence Recognition were acknowledged last week at the APATX24 State Planning Conference. The City of Wilmer invites you to “like” the City on Facebook.com/cityofwilmer and follow us at twitter.com/welcometowilme1 and Instagram.com/ cityofwilmer.
